Women’s Basketball Coaches Association honors Saint Joseph’s coach

STANDISH, Maine — Mike McDevitt, the head women’s basketball coach at Saint Joseph’s College, has been selected for an honor by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

The organization has announced McDevitt will receive the 2013 Russell Athletic/WBCA Victory Club Award.

McDevitt, who recently completed his 20th season with Saint Joseph’s, earned the 400th victory of his coaching career on Nov. 20, 2012, when the Monks topped the University of Maine-Farmington 58-52 at the Harold Alfond Center.

McDevitt, a 1983 graduate of Saint Joseph’s, also served as the interim head coach at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham during the 2008-09 campaign. He guided the Huskies to a 22-7 record and a Little East Conference Championship that winter.

Overall, McDevitt owns a 414-164 (.716) record that includes a 392-157 (.714) mark at Saint Joseph’s. He is one of two Great Northeast Athletic Conference women’s basketball coaches to earn the award, as Emmanuel College head coach Andy Yosinoff, who claimed his 700th career victory in January, also will be honored.

The Russell Athletic/WBCA Victory Club Award is presented annually to each WBCA-member head coach who achieves career wins of 200, 300, 400, 500 or more, in 100-victory increments, during the current season.

The coaches will be formally recognized during the third annual WBCA Awards Show, which will be held at 6 p.m. April 8 in New Orleans. This event is part of the WBCA National Convention and is held in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

Friends of UM women’s hoops plans buffet

The Friends of Maine Women’s Basketball booster group is inviting all Black Bear fans to attend its annual postseason buffet to be held at 6 p.m. Friday, April 12.

This year’s buffet will be held at Wells Conference Center on the campus of the University of Maine. The cost for a spot at the dinner is $30 per person.